VC Question of the Week
Each week LinkedIn sends A.I.-generated questions to certain LinkedIn users within different industries. The questions I receive are mostly related to the venture capital industry. I like to answer these questions to share my perspective and be a resource to the greater VC ecosystem.
Question of the week:
What do you do if conflict resolution is disrupting team dynamics in your Venture Capital firm?
Response:
This question applies to all firms, not just venture capital. I don’t know what the “ideal” way is to deal with conflicts, but I do know that the “worst” way to resolve them is to avoid them. Conflict resolution begins with acknowledging the conflict, discussing it with the parties involved, and finding a solution (or middle ground). Venture capital firms have the additional challenge that team sizes are usually very small and relationships among team members can be highly personal. I also think there can be a negative compounding effect when teams are 100% virtual leaving few opportunities to discuss conflicts without the helpful nuances of human nature. Developing internal policies to resolve conflicts is a great way to ensure they’re addressed rapidly and systematically.
Cheers,
KM